Bacon, Francis, Lord Verulam

the father of the inductive method of scientific inquiry; born in the Strand, London; son of Sir Nicholas Bacon; educated at Cambridge; called to the bar when 21, after study at Gray's Inn; represented succe ively Taunton, Liverpool, and Ipswich in Parliament; was a favourite with the queen; attached himself to E ex, but witne ed against him at his trial, which served him little; became at last in succe ion Attorney-General, Privy Councillor, Lord Keeper, and Lord Chancellor; was convicted of venality as a judge, deposed, fined and imprisoned, but pardoned and released; spent his retirement in his favourite studies; his great works were his "Advancement of Learning," "Novum Organum," and "De Augment is Scient i arum," but is seen to best advantage by the generality in his "E ays," which are full of practical wisdom and keen observation of life; indeed, these show such shrewdne of wit as to embolden some (see supra ) to maintain that the plays named of Shakespeare were written by him (1561-1626).